He who does not know that he is a child of God believes himself mortal and subject to ills and troubles. Nevertheless, in his real spiritual being he lives, has ever lived, and always will live in the dwelling place of the Most High. Mortals, indeed, lay themselves open to fear and suffering because they do not know that this house of the Lord, or kingdom of heaven, is the only true state of consciousness. "Heaven is not a locality," says Mrs. Eddy in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 291), "but a divine state of Mind."

In what way, then, can we gain this state of consciousness? Jesus said, "Enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret." Is it possible for all to dwell in paradise? asks the suffering one. Yes. God created man; and heaven, Christian Science teaches, is harmony. Then, in order that one may even now enjoy this felicity, the only prerequisite is acknowledgment and demonstration of the fact.

First of all, in order to realize our safety in this mental dwelling we must close the door to error. If it is not closed, the enemy will attempt to take possession of our thoughts. Our Leader gives us this very clear spiritual interpretation of what this sacred chamber is (Science and Health, p. 15): "The closet typifies the sanctuary of Spirit, the door of which shuts out sinful sense but lets in Truth, Life, and Love." Communing with divine Mind in this mental closet, we shut out the material and untrue that we may have communion with Spirit alone. The enemy, which is mortal mind, may knock in vain. Though it rap once, or ten times, or a hundred times, it makes no difference when one firmly closes the mental door against aggressive mental suggestion. We have nothing to fear, as we are told (ibid., p. 235), "if virtue and truth build a strong defence." The devil, mortal mind, clothed in the form of erroneous thoughts, will finally be vanquished. In the story of Jesus' temptation we read, "Then the devil leaveth him." Through his steadfast resistance, Jesus had denied error any access to the closet of his pure consciousness, and the voice of error then faded into nothingness.

What a consolation it is to the struggler to know that when the devil left him, "behold, angels came and ministered unto him"! Behold the reward of the struggle, the angels of God's presence bringing peace and joy! How good it seems to turn our eyes from the struggle to the transparent window of spiritual thought which lets in the light of Truth, Love, and Life! Ordinarily, without light, life in a room would not be tolerable. The light brightens the atmosphere. In the sanctuary of Spirit, Mind, God, all is light, harmony.

In this chamber we know God as Truth. Here there is no adversary, no error manifesting itself in the form of sadness, suffering, poverty, sin, sickness, or death. Here there is no place for mortal mind, termed in Scripture the devil, "a liar, and the father of it." It is this devil which calls a disease incurable and says, You cannot be healed; whereas Truth, or God, says, I am He "who healeth all thy diseases." It is the devil which asserts that the sinner will not reform; but Truth replies with the command, "Put off the old man." The devil says: You will have no food tomorrow, for you have no more work; but the response of Truth is, "Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof;" and, "Your Father knoweth what things ye have need of."

In the chamber of true consciousness we know God as Life. This Life is our life by reflection. Our Father has given us the great privilege of reflecting Life for all eternity. And since we reflect Life, we reflect eternally all that this includes—strength, vigor, activity, immortality—in a word, true health. In Life there is no place for the shadow of death. There, no gloom hides joy, and there is no emptiness, for all is substance, reality.

In this chamber of true consciousness we know God as Love. Here the tenderness of our Father-Mother is felt. Could one wish for a love more perfect than divine Love, which feeds abundantly the famished human affections? A child in the arms of its mother has no thought of danger and feels completely safe, with no need for worrying. Man, who is the child of God, has nothing to fear; he is safely cared for, and God always provides for his needs. As in the case of the child who is happy under the loving care of its mother, so man enjoys perfect happiness, without a single anxiety. Man in God's image is at peace. People often say of children, "Oh, they are the happy ones, they are without a care!" And we—why, then, do we have cares? Do we not know that we are all spiritual children of God? Jesus, who loved the pure qualities of children, said, "Of such is the kingdom of heaven."

Then what peace should be ours, since every hour we can receive in abundance the blessings of divine Love, which are ever present in our mental dwelling and infinitely higher than the love of a human mother for her child! And even as it would be wrong for a child to doubt its mother's love, so is it wrong for us to doubt God's love, which fills all space. Let us therefore close the door on the "supposition of the absence of Spirit" (Science and Health, p. 504). Let us close the door on the supposition of the absence of Life, of Truth, of Love. Thus we shall be at peace, dwelling consciously in the kingdom of God, or harmony.

The happiness to be found in spiritualized thinking is voiced in Psalms: "Blessed are they that dwell in thy house."